


Not a Prize to Be Won

by Etnoe



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon - Manga, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 12:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21161744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etnoe/pseuds/Etnoe
Summary: Kyoko's friends don't succeed in holding her back from Mochida when he makes the claim that she'll be the prize in his match against Tsuna, and things take a few different turns for her.





	Not a Prize to Be Won

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saintlysinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintlysinner/gifts).

During one lunchtime, Kyoko stewed on the events of the past week or so.

Everyone made a big deal of her punching Mochida! It hadn't even been a knock-out, like her brother had both delivered and received in a few competitions - now those were really a big deal, involving doctors and quiet recovery time. All that had happened to Mochida was that he'd fallen on his butt in front of everyone who'd showed up to see him and Tsuna fight, and that he'd wheezed a lot for the rest of the school day. He'd told people in the days afterwards that the bruising didn't trouble him in kendo ("Stop asking, already! I'm serious, there's no problem, OK!"), so it should all basically be over.

All right, so the aftermath of punching Mochida _had_ kind of involved the Disciplinary Committee, which was a pretty sizeable development sometimes, but Kusakabe had assured her it was in an unofficial capacity, and he wanted her to reenact the scene so he could picture it better. Even that didn't count.

"But now I've kind of lost all these friends who aren't you guys," Kyoko told her two definite remaining friends during lunchtime, where they sat away from others on the roof of Nami ore Middle. "Friends and acquaintances, really, all at once! It's weird how fast it happened. People still talk to me in clubs and when we pass by each other and so on, but, well, you two can see how it is at break time. And after school it's the same."

"Only you and me and the monkey," Hana affirmed, possibly for the pleasure of making Tsuna grumble at his lunchbox. It _was_ funny how it looked like he was talking directly to it. Usually Tsuna was about the one guy in class she didn't call a monkey all the time.

"Well, um. After you beat Mochida-senpai, you did tell stories about other times when you just ... jumped in on stuff, and sometimes fought people..." Tsuna said. He tended to look pretty thoroughly confused when the topic came up, like it didn't fit inside his head all the way.

"But those stories were from before I could throw a proper punch at all! My brother had showed me the technique, but I didn't have any muscle tone. It would have been floppy, like--"

Hana interrupted with a pointed sigh that turned into a laugh. "This is why all the social butterflies flitted away, Kyoko! You have no sense of damage control! You're supposed to be the sweet and gentle idol of the school--" Here Hana paused to wave away her protests. "But now they're thinking you're suddenly a sweet and gentle total tomboy who does what she wants. It breaks their little minds."

"A bit," Tsuna added like he was trying to make her feel better, but mostly like he agreed his mind felt broken. "Um ... that story about how you knocked over three library shelves because you thought you'd never be able to shift one was funny the way you told it, though."

Kyoko let out a flustered groan, and they laughed like friends were supposed to at an embarrassing story, amused and commiserating. It was weird to think of the number of schoolmates who thought stories like those were funny, but also sort of horrifying.

"My favourite is when you threw buckets of water and then sand at those guys when we were young. My hero!" Hana praised. "My least favourite was when you tried to use _that stupid skateboard_\--"

"Quick, Tsuna, ask her about schoolwork! There's got to be something you and I have both forgotten about! Or else this is all we'll talk about for the rest of break."

Hana would not be thrown off. "She went right down the ramp on her first try! The kid who wanted to teach her hadn't even thought she was going to try that!"

Luckily, it didn't end up being the only topic of conversation. Tsuna could be pretty clever, because he sneaked the conversation on to ways Hana had been the one to get into silly situations to help Kyoko. They started teasing each other about how Hana never ever did dumb things, never at all, with Kyoko dropping hints about some deeply silly things from over the years as an old friend should.

"Hmm," said Tsuna's baby cousin, looking up at Kyoko. The kid's dark eyes gave him a solemn look.

"Reborn-kun! How are you today?"

"You're not a fighter, really," he told her instead.

"Oh no, now it feels like everyone's talking about this! Even _you_ know, and you're a little kid?"

"But you fight anyway. And really ... it's the reflex to jump in right away that's interesting..."

"Um. Thanks?"

The solemn face broke into a sunny smile. "Don't thank me yet. There will be many, opportunities to be grateful coming your way."

Dynamite, for example, was an excellent way to test reflexes.

After that - there were many places in the family. A delicate-looking secret weapon would not go amiss.


End file.
